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Editor’s note: This is the sixth post in a series of guest posts from the PRSA Philadelphia publicity committee leading up to the PRSA 2013 International Conference, October 26 – 29. Follow the Conference conversation by searching the hashtag #PRSAICON and following our PRSA National Events Twitter handle, @PRSAevents.

We’re just about two weeks out from the PRSA 2013 International Conference in Philadelphia. By now, you’ve looked over the program and made a note of which sessions you want to attend. You’ve had a taste of what some of the presenters will be sharing, and you’ve heard about some of the great things Philadelphia has to offer. (There’s more to come on that next week.)

Now, you’re probably wondering what to pack for your trip to the City of Brotherly Love, so here’s a helpful checklist of things to bring and do ahead of Conference so you get the most out of your experience.

There is so much to dislike about social media — yet, there are so many new avenues of communication available to you during a crisis that it becomes hard to do so. On the other hand, social media can also blow up with excessive criticism and hate. Add to that the fact that your older executives may freak out when they read all of the negative criticism. You then have a real PR problem on your hands. However, it is impossible to overlook the power of circumventing the media in certain crises when you can’t get news coverage by taking your message straight to your social media audience. Also, it is gratifying to get positive feedback from people who are hungry for news updates and find solace in knowing you provided them vital information.

…whew!

Are you as tired of this merry-go-round as I am? Sorting it all out is nothing short of exhausting.

So, what do you think? Does “shiny and new” beat “tried and true?” In other words, does new social media serve you better than the traditional approach to crisis communications?

What happens if you combine all of the new social media, the latest technology, great media relations and great crisis communications? I have done it while in seven feet of floodwaters with no electricity for five days. I ended up on live television on CNN and The Weather Channel, broadcasting my story from the heart of a hurricane, where even their own news crews couldn’t go. Would you like to learn the secrets of doing that? Some of them can be found here.

To help you sort it all out, you are invited to join me Sept. 24 in Arlington, Va., where we will explore the good, bad and ugly of social media for crisis communications. Do not come if you are expecting suggestions for one magic solution that works for every organization — there is no such thing. For a sample of what you will hear, visit here.

The world continues to change so quickly. Using technology to connect with target audiences is essential in penetrating the cluttered atmosphere, especially in the field of healthcare. Social media has expanded our professional coordinates and positioned communicators to participate in the real-time conversations shaping the marketplace of ideas.

For the last 20 years, I have seen how successful policy and campaign workers use technology to transform outreach and activism. Those who embrace the effort, become early adopters, build their critical mass and consume the environment like a tidal wave.

At first, it’s overwhelming, but eventually you find your groove. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Groupon — initially, it did not occur to me to join them. However, for career insight or to get a better deal on frozen yogurt, it is essential to be plugged in. Patterns definitely emerge, and information management becomes key.

I’ve seen the impact firsthand at my organization, the Oncology Nursing Society. We’re engaged in a multitude of membership advocacy efforts that educate decision-makers on nursing and cancer.

This is a preview of Building a Grassroots Army on the Internet: A Guide for Adopters at All Stages. Read the full post

Social media training is now as important as conventional media training was a decade ago. Yesterday’s corporate spokesperson is today’s social media manager.

For social media marketers, it’s become increasingly important to actively manage company Facebook pages, branded Twitter accounts and other social media channels.

As communicators have focused on building out these channels independently, it has become clear that social marketing by itself isn’t enough. Social media is unlike mass media; distribution alone doesn’t penetrate the social filter. In order to reap gains, conversations or action must take place. With no clicks, the whole exercise is for naught.

So what do you do? Involve your team and broader organizational stakeholders. Scaling social media engagement through enterprise-wide social media training is about mobilizing everyone to collaborate transparently.

Assuming your organization has a fair, responsible social media policy (i.e., one that doesn’t scare everyone into complete silence), the easiest next step is to scale engagement.

Employees have a vested interest in the organization’s overall success. However, we also know that external communications — particularly when they’re driven by those unskilled in the art of public disclosure — can easily be taken out of context by competitors or critics and quickly spin out of control.

When you’re ready to bring colleagues together to start playing as a team, and perhaps even discuss the prospect of securing a portfolio of social media training online with your boss, here’s what you need to know about how online social media courses can help prepare the organization for greater success:

This is a preview of Social Media Training: Five Reasons Why It’s More Important Than Ever. Read the full post

Super Storm Sandy helped to bring greater awareness to the struggles that communicators and leaders face during crises — and to the need for equally super crisis communications preparation and training.

Imagine having an arsenal of communications technology at your disposal, yet having no electricity to use it. For people who try to build too much of their communications strategy around a single means of communication, such as social media, the old adage, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” has never been truer.

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